Cynwyd Trail To Link With Philadelphia Side

An outdoor recreational pathway designed to link city to suburb and vice versa has finally moved from planning phase to reality.

The Cynwyd Heritage Trail, a planned two-mile, multi-use paved trailway running from the Cynwyd Station in Montgomery County to the iconic stone arch Manayunk Bridge in Philadelphia, closed Tuesday as construction preparation work began.

This first phase, which involves building the main portion of the trail from Cynwyd Station to Belmont Avenue, is expected to be completed by late September, Lower Merion Township announced on its Web site.

The trail project was always envisioned as a way to bolster open space in Lower Merion Township, according to the trail’s official Web site. But the goal was twofold; the project was also seen as a way to connect communities.

In this case, the idea would be to make it easier, and more enjoyable, for Montgomery County residents to cross into Philadelphia County and vice versa.

“It’s fantastic,” Manayunk Neighborhood Council President Kevin Smith said of the joint initiative, which has been years in the making.

Because the Cynwyd Heritage Trail will be built upon an unused portion of SEPTA’s R6 tracks, both the township and Philadelphia officials had to get permission to convert the rail to trails. This was specifically true of the portion of track overtop the Manayunk Bridge, which SEPTA agreed to lease out for the purpose of a recreational trail.

The belief is that SEPTA wanted to maintain control of the land should rail ever be reactivated over the bridge, an iconic regional symbol that has been found in many paintings and artistic works.

On the Lower Merion side, funding for the trail work came from Montgomery County open space money and a grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Those two funding sources make up an estimated 80 percent of the trail’s projected $1.8 million cost.

In January, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation  it would provide $1.3 million to the City of Philadelphia through its Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative (PCTI).

The capital funding came with the proviso that the bridge portion of the project be designed within 18 months. That timeframe also allows for construction to be advertised.

According to the trail’s Web site, the Schuylkill Project, an arm of the Manayunk Development Corp., is planning for a “phased approach for the feasibility planning and the final design/working drawings,” with an application deadline set for March 11.

In a recent interview, Schuylkill Project head Kay Sykora expressed delight that the project, long in the making, is finally moving forward, although she conceded involved parties have their work cut out.

Sykora, who has long been an advocate for Schuylkill River recreational enhancements, has been working on Schuylkill River Trail-related projects for many years.

While on the Lower Merion side the pathway is known as the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, on the Philly side it’s dubbed the Ivy Ridge Trail. That path will run from the Ivy Ridge train station to the Manayunk Bridge.

Under the auspices of Ivy Ridge Green, an umbrella group comprising various recreational enthusiasts, supporters and volunteers, the Ivy Ridge Trail has already seen its share of cleanup and prep work.

Eventually, the plan is for both the Cynwyd Heritage Trail and the Ivy Ridge Trail to become one when they merge overtop the Manayunk Bridge.

Until then, supporters on both sides of the Schuylkill River will surely continue to raise awareness and push for a cohesive trail system spanning two counties.